Taco Bell is finally coming to Aotearoa

Headlines
11/12/2018

American fastfood giant Taco Bell is making it's way to Kiwi shores, with the announcement made this morning to the New Zealand Stock Exchange. The launch of Taco Bell down under will kick off next year, with over 60 stores expected to be built between January 2019 and June 2024 across both NZ and Australia.

Restaurant Brands group chief executive Russel Creedy said the company wanted to build a franchise system with the brand.

"Bringing the Taco Bell brand to this part of the world aligns with our strategy of focusing on global tier-one brands in markets we understand," Creedy said.

"We know from our experience in Hawaii and Guam that Taco Bell is a top-tier brand backed by excellent franchise systems."

The Mexican food outlet isn't familiar to most Kiwis, outside of their pop-culture presence in movies and music, but First Retail Group managing director Chris Wilkinson said the launch would be well-received by Kiwis.

"There's a changing appetite for these types of menu options. People are wanting more diversity in fast food," he said.

"There isn't actually a chain of Mexican food, there are smaller sit-down groups, but in terms of a quick-service restaurant model this will be the first."